Historic Ironwood Theatre shows locally filmed movie

ACTORS BILL Bonin, Brian John Evans and Director/Producer Chars Bonin previewed Bonin’s first feature film, “Finding Home,” at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Saturday night. The movie was shot at Camp Olympia, near Upson. “He’s been onstage since he was five,” said Bill of his son, Chars. “As a parent you always want to see your kids chase their dreams, and he is doing a really good job.”

IRONWOOD — “Finding Home,” an independent film shot in ten days just outside of Upson and released in 2012, was shown at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Saturday evening, with Chars Bonin, the film’s director, producer, and writer on hand, as well as two actors from the film, Brian John Evans and Bill Bonin, Chars’ father.

Bonin became acquainted with the area through his wife, the former Sarah Hagstrom, a 1997 Luther L. Wright graduate. Her parents Pat and Chuck are partial owners of Camp Olympia, where the majority of the film was shot in ten days, with 13 crew members, including actors.

Bonin was thrilled to shoot the movie here, he said, and it made sense to preview it here as well.

The film was shot on a red camera, a tool that made the $55,000 movie look “Hollywood quality,” Bonin said. “It allowed for greater flexibility within each shot.”

“Finding Home” is Bonin’s first feature film, although he has won regional awards for directing and producing short films in the Twin Cities, and national awards for producing, acting, and special effects.

The movie is about “heartache, heartbreak, and forgiveness,” Bonin said.

Bonin left the film open ended, to leave viewers with room to think about what they just experienced, he said.

After the showing of the movie, the Bonins and Evans allowed the audience at HIT to ask questions.

Evans said that it was weird to see himself on the screen, although as a professional dancer just back from Germany, he is used to performing.

“It was a very emotional film,” Evans said. Having been raised by a single mother, it was hard to see a woman as emotional as the lead actress was, Evans said.

For more information, or to order a DVD of the movie, visit orangeappleproductions.com.